DENR-7 moves to protect Cebu City Zoo animals

This file photo shows a dead python being displayed at the Cebu City Zoo located in Barangay Kalunasan. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) called for a meeting last Friday to draw up measures to protect animal welfare amid the city’s plans to close down the zoo. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

In efforts to keep the animals of Cebu City’s once-vibrant zoo alive, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the region held a conference last Friday and approved six resolutions to protect the animals’ welfare, including a planned transfer of the animals to a 16-hectare nature park in Amlan town, Negros Oriental.

The resolutions were to be put in place in the event that the Cebu City government finally decides to close the zoo, leaving its existing animals temporarily orphaned while no one assumed responsibility for them yet.

“If no other personnel will take care of them, the moment the city zoo will be closed, DENR will have the responsibility over the animals,” said Cebu city veterinarian Dr. Alice Utlang, who attended the meeting with DENR officials.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña had offered to donate the zoo’s 272 animals to the Cebu provincial government; however, Governor Hilario Davide III expressed that he was not interested in acquiring the animals from the Cebu City Zoo.

In their initial talks, both local chief executives agreed to include the zoo property in exchange for the province-owned lots covered by Ordinance 93-1 and occupied by city residents to address the land dispute between the two local government units (LGUs).

Davide earlier said that he would convert the zoo into an amusement park and donate the animals to a private entity or other LGUs as the province currently does not have any personnel capable of handling the animals.

Meanwhile, Osmeña was also in talks with the town of Amlan which reportedly asked for the donation of the animals from the zoo for the municipality’s nature park.

The mayor planned to ship most of the animals to Amlan while the birds will be transferred into the old Compania Maritima building near City Hall which he plans to convert into an aviary.

Osmeña admitted that his may take time.

Animal welfare

Among the resolutions approved by DENR, while awaiting the zoo’s final fate, was a call for a concrete plan of action in the event of the zoo’s closure.
According to Utlang, another resolution also called for a necropsy report on the animals if they die and a quarterly submission of reports on the zoo’s condition with a complete inventory of the animals.

The Cebu City government was tasked to conduct the inventory along with DENR-7, the Department of Veterinary Services City Pound and the Department of Agriculture (DA-7) through its Animal Welfare Act (AWA) officer.

A training for the new zookeeper will also be conducted by these agencies while a record of all donated animals, including the owner’s name and telephone number as well as the number of species he or she received will be kept on file.

Utlang said that as a first step in making sure that the animals will be taken care of, the AWA officer of DA Central Visayas was told to organize an adoption program for domesticated animals such as rabbits and fish.

“The rest will be donated to Amlan. And DENR approved of the animals being transferred there since they already assessed its land area, and Amlan has DENR accreditation. Before the animals will be donated, the recipient must need an approval and accreditation from DENR. It’s in the law,” Utlang said in Cebuano.

Zoo animals which were not registered on the city’s official list and did not have future owners waiting for them will be turned over to DENR-7, said Utlang.

Republic Act No. 8485, otherwise known as The Animal Welfare Act, mandates the protection and promotion of all animals in the Philippines by compelling any person, association, partnership, corporation, cooperative or any government agency to secure a certificate of registration from DENR’s Bureau of Animal Industry before establishing, maintaining and operating any facility which houses animals.

Call for reconsideration

The zoo located in the hills of Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City, once a favorite hangout of many Cebuano families is a place Abigail, who refused to give her surname to Cebu Daily News, never had the chance to visit before.
Now that the zoo is expected to close, the mother of three regrets not having found the time to visit the Cebu landmark.

“I do not approve of this. I was born and raised in Cebu City for more than 30 years, and I haven’t had the chance to visit the zoo. Now that it will be closed, I am dismayed that I cannot go there anymore.” Abigail said in Cebuano.

However, the 38-year-old housewife said that it was good that all her children had been to the zoo a couple times for their school field trips; but “I kept telling them that when we have enough money to spare, we will go there to bond and have fun,” she added.

Lahug Elementary School teacher Agnes Ocana said closing the Cebu City Zoo will deny students “a convenient and less costly” chance to learn about the environment.

“When they’re in the zoos, they have the chance to interact with animals, especially endangered ones, and know about their current situations,” said Ocana, who teaches Science.

“The last time we went there was two years ago. And you could see how the children are enjoying at the same time learning something new,” Ocana added.

Eighteen-year-old Allycca Mabe Becamon, an education major at the Cebu Normal University (CNU) echoed the same sentiments.

“It’s active learning wherein students not only possess new knowledge, but at the same time, they get to enjoy what they are learning,” she said.